


The Perks of Being Immortal

by LadyHallen



Series: Immortal Series [1]
Category: Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-23 23:16:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyHallen/pseuds/LadyHallen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wrote this before Clockwork Princess. Dealing with immortality was never easy. The trick was ignoring the people, and enjoying the world. But the people would not let Tessa stay an introvert, and the world was about to be destroyed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perks of Being Immortal

The problem with immortality was watching change pass, when you yourself did not change.

Tessa Gray had seen much but even she could not fathom living longer than 130 years. Magnus had seen and probably felt more, him and his 800 years.

"How do your bear it Magnus?" she had asked him once.

He looked at her then. "You don't." he answered bleakly. No wonder some Downworlders were half insane. Tessa felt like joining their ranks. The temptation wasn't weak.

Next year's visit, the question was different.

"Magnus, how do you bear it? Especially when you start to forget?" she had whispered with horror when she realized that all she remembered of her lover was color and a flash of a smile. She could no longer remember his laugh or his voice.

"Oh Tessa!" Magnus had exclaimed. "I pray everyday that I forget."

"I do not wish to." She had answered.

"Why not?" he demanded. "It is the only mercy I find. That way, I no longer have to remember wishing that I could wake up every day with his smile beside me."

Tessa did not answer him. She felt like she could not explain it that well to him. How to explain the feeling of wanting to hold on to James, or to dear beloved William? She could not hold on to them - what was there to hold on to but a mere memory?

Then, the next years visit was different. She met a boy. He had the same fragility of beauty about him that reminded her of William, yet his very physical appearance hinted of James-if James was ever that healthy.

"Nephilim, what is your name?"

The boy gave a very cocky grin, reminiscent of Will. "What is it to you?" he had demanded.

Magnus had coughed. "Jace, have some respect. She's been alive for longer than you. She's a warlock."

The boy Jace looked abashed. A redhead beside him had moved at the mention of warlock.

"What's her mark?" the girl asked.

Tessa felt herself grin but the smile itself was not friendly. "That is as rude as being asked how old I am."

Magnus coughed again. "Tessa, is this that time of the year?"

"Yes, but you should have sent a message if you were going to have visitors… I could have come another year?"

"I did not expect visitors." Magnus defended himself. "But this one is nice, because you get to meet the younger generation. Being an introvert does not become you."

It was nice hit and Tessa felt obliged to meet the children. Only when Magnus had kicked them out did he feel obliged to explain himself.

"That boy Jace, he is a Herondale." Magnus had murmured.

Tessa did not feel the earthquake that people were said to feel upon hearing shocking news, but she had to sit down for a moment.

"I thought the last one died several years ago." She answered.

"That's what everyone thought. Apparently, no one, not even the boy suspected about his heritage."

By common consent, they moved on to safer topics.

It was her curse to meet him again. He looked so arrogant, so happy and so sure of his position in his life that Tessa felt her heart squeeze watching him.

"I need your help." He had said immediately. There were no introductions and no wasting of breath on small chit chat. Just like William.

"How may I help you, Nephilim?" she answered politely. Descendant of William or not, he was still a Nephilim and they were all touchy.

"I heard from Magnus that it was only your type of ability that can help me." The boy looked slightly embarrassed. "I have to see the thoughts of a certain person."

Oh. Well, only Tessa could do that among the half-dozen warlocks in Brooklyn.

"Did he also tell you what I will require?" she asked.

In response, Jace handed her a bloodstained kerchief. The blood seemed stale.

"A final question - for my own safety rather than yours. Is this person alive or dead?"

"Alive." Was the answer.

Tessa gave a smile. "Be careful then. If you wish to see what I will do, then you have to have no hostile reaction towards me."

Jace managed a nod at the cryptic warning.

Without further warning, she Changed. She had long since found a spell to change her clothes along with the change. Losing gowns wasn't pleasant.

Tessa found herself groping for the familiar light and transformed herself into the body of another person. It was a man and she gasped at the poison she felt in his body.

"What do you wish to know?" she gasped. Being touched by his consciousness was painful. She hoped Jace would hurry with the questions. Tessa had never Changed into a more vile person, literally.

Jace was gaping. Then he shook himself. "His plans. The man you have taken the shape of is going to annihilate the Nephilim and create his own demonic army to kill the whole world."

Tessa groped his mind and felt stung, as though his mind was guarded by a dozen wasps. She almost lost the change yet she held on and found only one word.

"Vienna!" she shrieked before falling in a dead faint.

**Author's Note:**

> Has been posted at FF.net. Am using this to edit this story...


End file.
